FASHION / FALL IN THE CITY : He’s Gotta Have It : How Does a Guy Update a Wardrobe? With Four Easy Pieces
Think of something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, and you’ll have a good guide for updating a man’s wardrobe for fall.
The items in question? An old-fashioned poorboy or hobo sweater, a new style of blazer, a vest borrowed from another era, and a crisp blue gabardine suit.
It isn’t coincidental that the poorboy, a body-hugging, ribbed-knit sweater with a rounded neckline, and the hobo, a shapeless, oversized cardigan or pullover with exaggerated long sleeves, should resurface in the midst of a recession. Both styles originally showed up on newsboys during the Depression. Designers such as Donna Karan, Andrew Fezza, Perry Ellis and Joseph Abboud have revived them to make an anti-fashion statement of sorts as well as a subtle political point about the economy. (Ironically, with prices ranging from about $140 to $300, one has to be a rich man to own one of their poorboys this season.)
Fashion experts say the sweaters lend themselves to dressing up--or down.
Jack Herschlag, executive director of the National Assn. of Men’s Sportswear Buyers, says: “A good wool-ribbed knit is a very serviceable thing, meaning it can be worn for years with everything from jeans to a blazer.”
The sweater can go under the new blazer already appearing in some stores. The garment is a cross between a three-button sport coat and a rugged outerwear jacket complete with oversize patch pockets. Introduced by Giorgio Armani three years ago (his had a four-figure price tag), the style has been reworked in a variety of cool-weather fabrics by everyone from Michael Kors to I. Magnin, which offers the garment at prices that range from $200 to $600.
Most variations, in wool, cashmere and corduroy, are unlined and have been stretched and pulled to resemble a comfy cardigan. But they are more versatile than a sweater. Calvin Klein dresses his version up by showing it as a sort of smock/topcoat, tossed over a classic blazer, shirt and tie combination. Alexander Julian and Bill Robinson like them worn more informally with knit shirts and casual pants.
A less expensive way to achieve a new look this fall is to buy a vest--a sportswear item that originated in the 15th Century. Prices range from from $12 to $350.
The key to dressing with vests, says Carla Annunziato, a men’s fashion adviser at I. Magnin, is to never mix a fancy look with a casual shirt. “But,” she says, “you could put a casual vest over a formal suit to dress it down a bit.”
If you work in an office, a gabardine suit is one way to update a fall business wardrobe. This fall’s new twist is the color blue: the suits, priced from about $285 to $600, now come in shades that range from ink to cobalt to indigo.
What are some additional fashion options to include in your fall wardrobe? What follows are some suggestions from the experts:
* If you must wear a tie to the office, pass on florals and buy an updated traditional pattern.
* Planning to be in a cool climate this winter? I. Magnin’s Carla Annunziato suggests buying leather. “Leather pants and jackets are coming back, especially in black,” she says.
* You have six pair of jeans in your closet but absolutely insist on just one more pair. Kambia Moezzi, young men’s sportswear buyer at the Broadway, suggests adding color--harvest gold or hunter green--to your denim wardrobe. “A man might also think about going a size larger for fall,” she says.
* Tom Julian, men’s fashion director of the New York-based Men’s Fashion Assn., says a simple anorak jacket might be a strong alternative to a blazer. “The anorak looks great worn over a blazer or in place of a blazer,” he says.
* Fashion magazines may be playing down the importance of the denim shirt, but Jim Watterson, a spokesman for the May Co., says it’s one of the most versatile items a man can own these days.
* Herschlag says this fall it’s fashionable to wear clothes monochromatically (i.e. in various shades of the same color family).
